{"id":2053,"date":"2025-12-09T20:50:48","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T17:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/?p=2053"},"modified":"2026-02-24T18:51:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T15:51:49","slug":"drought-and-widespread-desertification-exacerbate-poverty-hunger-energy-insecurity-and-ecosystem-destruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/2025\/12\/09\/drought-and-widespread-desertification-exacerbate-poverty-hunger-energy-insecurity-and-ecosystem-destruction\/","title":{"rendered":"Drought and widespread desertification exacerbate poverty, hunger, energy insecurity and ecosystem destruction"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to a new UN-supported report, some of the most severe and devastating droughts in human history have occurred since 2023, driven by climate change and ongoing pressure on land and water resources. The report, “Global Drought Hotspots 2023\u20132025,” provides a comprehensive account of how droughts exacerbate poverty, hunger, energy insecurity, and ecosystem destruction.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) implements the Integrated Drought Management Programme to support policy development. WMO has long advocated for forward-looking, proactive drought management policies, rather than the current reactive, crisis-based approach.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, over 90 million people in East and Southern Africa face acute hunger. Some areas are experiencing the worst drought on record. In August 2024, South Africa, already drought-prone, was devastated, with approximately one-sixth of the population (68 million people) requiring food aid. In Spain, water shortages have impacted agriculture, tourism, and domestic water supplies. By September 2023, two years of drought and record heat had reduced Spain’s olive harvest by 50%, doubling the price of olive oil nationwide. Record low water levels in the Amazon basin in 2023 and 2024 led to mass deaths of fish and endangered dolphins, as well as disruptions to drinking water supplies and transportation for hundreds of thousands of people. As deforestation and fires intensify, the Amazon risks turning from a carbon sink into a carbon source. Drought has disrupted production and supply chains for key crops such as rice, coffee, and sugar in Southeast Asia. For example, in 2023\u20132024, dry conditions in Thailand and India caused shortages, leading to an 8.9% increase in sugar and sweets prices in the US.<\/span><\/p>\n

The report recommends strengthening early warning systems and real-time monitoring of drought and its impacts, including conditions that contribute to food and water shortages. Watershed restoration and the use of local crops are also recommended. The development of resilient infrastructure, including off-grid energy and alternative water supply technologies, as well as global cooperation, particularly in protecting transboundary river basins and trade routes, could also play a significant positive role.<\/span><\/p>\n

A new global partnership to strengthen sand and dust storm warnings was announced during the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0The partnership will support World Meteorological Organization (WMO) regional centers that address sand and dust storms and is being launched with financial support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of up to $10 million over the first five years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many countries and regions around the world suffer from sand and dust storms, affecting approximately 330 million people worldwide. These storms release approximately 2 billion tons of dust into the atmosphere annually, with more than 80% of global dust emissions occurring in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East. Between 25 and 50% of global dust emissions are due to human activity and poor land management. Sand and dust storms have significant impacts on various socioeconomic and environmental sectors, as well as on human health, aviation and land transportation, safety, and quality of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nDrought in Africa. World404<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The emerging global partnership will support activities coordinated by the WMO Sand and Dust Storm Advisory and Impact Assessment System initiative. The goal is to improve sand and dust storm early warning systems, direct research efforts to help countries address these phenomena, and improve forecasting and research to mitigate their various impacts.<\/span><\/p>\n

This will support countries’ efforts to address issues such as land degradation, drought and other environmental problems that are the main causes of the impacts of sand and dust storms.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The strategic plan for implementing this partnership aims to leverage the expertise, human resources, and technological capabilities available at the regional level. WMO currently coordinates these activities in four regions through associated regional centers:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013 the Gulf Cooperation Council region with its associated regional centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia;<\/span>
\n\u2013 the North Africa, Middle East and Europe region with its associated regional centre in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bSpain;<\/span>
\n\u2013 the Asia region with its associated regional centre in Beijing, China;<\/span>
\n\u2013 the Americas region with its associated regional centre in Bridgertown, Barbados.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Suomi NPP satellite captured this image of a Saharan dust column lifted by wind over the Atlantic Ocean on August 24, 2024.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage by Lauren Dauphin using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS\/Worldview, and the National Polar-Orbiting Partnership of Finland.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The Sahara Desert is the largest source of atmospheric dust on Earth, and its particles can travel thousands of kilometers. From late spring to early fall, the dry and dusty Saharan air layer typically transports dust particles westward across the Atlantic Ocean in the upper atmosphere. According to NOAA, the Saharan air layer’s activity subsides after mid-August, reducing the likelihood that the dust plume shown here will cross the ocean.<\/span><\/p>\n

Climate change is causing unprecedented drought across the globe, and five billion people could be affected by it by 2100, according to a landmark United Nations (UN) report. A landmark United Nations (UN) report says that over the past three decades, climate change has made three-quarters of the Earth’s land surface permanently drier.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past three decades, 77.6% of the Earth’s land has become drier than it was 30 years ago, with drylands expanding to an area larger than India and now covering 40.6% of the Earth’s land mass excluding Antarctica.<\/span><\/p>\n

Findings published in a new report by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) warn that if trends continue, up to five billion people could be living in drylands by the end of the century, leading to depleted soils, diminished water resources and the destruction of vital ecosystems.<\/span><\/p>\n

“For the first time, the drought crisis has been documented with scientific clarity, demonstrating an existential threat affecting billions of people worldwide,” UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said in a statement. “Droughts are ending. However, when a region’s climate becomes drier, the ability to return to previous conditions is lost. The drier climate currently affecting vast areas of the world will not return to its former state, and this change is transforming life on Earth.”<\/span><\/p>\n

As climate change leads to rising temperatures worldwide, water evaporates from the surface faster, and the atmosphere becomes increasingly capable of absorbing it. This plunges much of the planet into increasingly arid conditions, permanently transforming once-green forests into arid grasslands and depriving it of the moisture needed for life and agriculture.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nDrought in Brazil: Amazon River levels drop to record lows Amazon Watch<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

This problem, along with destructive land use and poor water management, means that nearly three billion people and more than half of the world’s food production face “unprecedented pressure” on their water systems, according to one recent study.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, despite growing scientific concern, documenting the extent of the planet’s drying due to climate change remains challenging, largely, the report argues, due to the complexity of intertwined factors, conflicting results, and the confounding effect of scientific caution.<\/span><\/p>\n

To break this impasse, the authors of the new report used advanced climate models, standardized methodologies, and an extensive review of existing literature and data to produce a clear picture of the growing drought trend.<\/span><\/p>\n

And their findings are depressing: drought has affected 40% of the world’s agricultural land and 2.3 billion people, leading to increased wildfires, agricultural collapse, and increased mass migration. Regions particularly affected by drought include almost all of Europe, the western United States, Brazil, East Asia, and Central Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the report’s authors argue that if action is taken, the future need not be so bleak. Their comprehensive roadmap for addressing the crisis, in addition to radically reducing carbon emissions to reverse this trend, includes improved drought monitoring, more sustainable land and water management, and stronger resilience and cooperation within and between communities worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

“Without concerted action, billions of people will face a future marked by hunger, displacement, and economic decline,” said Barron Orr, Chief Scientist of the UNCCD, in a statement. “However, by adopting innovative solutions and strengthening global solidarity, humanity can meet this challenge. The question is not whether we have the tools to respond, but whether we have the will to act.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, there are examples of methods to combat desertification.<\/span><\/h3>\n

A large-scale project to combat desertification is underway in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Solar panels are being installed across 200,000 hectares, serving both as energy generators and as a natural barrier: they stabilize sand dunes, reduce wind speed, and create shade, slowing moisture evaporation. This 400-kilometer-long and 5-kilometer-wide green barrier will also serve to protect the Yellow River.<\/span><\/p>\n

2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the “Green Mountains and Emerald Waters: Treasures of the Universe” vision proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Combating desertification is a key focus of its implementation. This project in Inner Mongolia serves as a shining example of how arid lands can be restored.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, scientists are testing an innovative biodegradable hydrogel. This material retains moisture in the soil without irrigation. Simply mixing it with liquid causes it to swell, allowing plants to survive even in areas with no groundwater. The method is already gaining international recognition. Demand for it is growing, especially in the Middle East, where deserts pose serious problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nHainan Province has taken a number of measures to protect the environment. russian.people.com.cn<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Selecting climate-resistant plants is especially important. Most importantly, they must not disrupt the local ecosystem, as was the case with tumbleweeds imported from the United States. At the end of their life cycle, these plants form dense barriers and can cause dust storms, especially near populated areas. Among the promising plants is the white peach, which also serves as livestock feed. Giant arundo reed, which restores depleted soil and is used as biofuel, is also increasingly being used.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fight against desertification is difficult, but China is determined, and its efforts have won numerous international awards. Step by step, sustainable solutions are being developed that can withstand climate change and sand inertia. As a result, plants are returning to arid and degraded areas, reports the media outlet “Greater Asia.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientists at Southern Federal University have begun a unique experiment to restore sand quarry soil and create a fertile layer of artificial black soil, the university’s press service reported.<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0The researchers believe the pilot project could be a breakthrough in addressing global issues of soil degradation and food security.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Southern Federal University, the goal of this work is not simply to improve the soil, but to create from scratch a fully functional analogue of natural black soil, even on the poorest and most damaged soils, thereby solving the pressing problems of the modern agricultural sector \u2013 soil degradation and depletion.<\/span><\/p>\n

The research site was a quarry in the Oktyabrsky district of the Rostov region, where scientists established a series of experimental plots to test various combinations of ameliorants (special substances of industrial or fossil origin designed to improve soil), organic fertilizers, and specially selected green manure (fast-growing plants that increase soil fertility).<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nPart of the team from the D.I. Ivanovsky Academy of Biology and Medicine at SFedU and the Morikov farm at the experiment site. SFedU Public Communications Center<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

“The main goal is not just to quickly green the area, but to initiate natural soil-forming processes that will lead to the formation of a stable, self-regulating, and fertile soil layer similar to natural black soil,” said Svetlana Sushkova, head of the Intelligent Agroecosystems research laboratory at the D.I. Ivanovsky Academy of Biology and Medicine at Southern Federal University.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientists noted that initial positive results have already been obtained. Two artificial black soil compositions have been developed, which have demonstrated high effectiveness on sandy soils. For example, test crops of sorghum and legumes demonstrated a yield increase of up to 100% on the territory of a former quarry. Furthermore, the resulting soils have properties that prevent salinization, which is critical for their use in arid regions.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We are creating a profile section of black soil that allows us to replicate its natural potential, the most important of which is crop yield and, consequently, food security,” explained Tatyana Minkina, head of the Department of Soil Science and Land Resource Assessment at ABIM SFedU.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nBlack soil<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The success of this project opens up new opportunities for the reclamation of land disturbed by industrial activity and the restoration of agricultural land damaged by erosion, the university believes.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to experts, the speed of land restoration directly depends on the scale and resources invested. For example, reclamation of a 10-20 hectare site can be completed in just 3-6 months with appropriate funding and technical support.<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal of the work, carried out within the framework of the strategic project “Soil Bioengineering” of the federal program “Priority-2030,” is to develop technologies that will enable the formation of fertile soils in regions where black soils have never been typical.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/i> Comment on Facebook* The owner of the Meta company is recognized as extremist in Russia and is banned.<\/span><\/a>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to a new UN-supported report, some of the most severe and devastating droughts in human history have occurred since 2023, driven by climate change and ongoing pressure on land and water resources. The report, “Global Drought Hotspots 2023\u20132025,” provides a comprehensive account of how droughts exacerbate poverty, hunger, energy insecurity, and ecosystem destruction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2054,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,23,777,45,539],"tags":[795,849,576],"class_list":{"0":"post-2053","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-klimat","9":"category-climatechange","10":"category-ekotehnologii","11":"category-hydrosphere","12":"tag-desert","13":"tag-desertification","14":"tag-drought"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2053"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2053\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2222,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2053\/revisions\/2222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}